Taking swings at some premature Orioles hot takes

The rotation has taken one full turn. The first homestand reaches its conclusion this afternoon, leading to an off-day and the first road trip to Pittsburgh and Boston. Can't outrun the cold.

We remain in the extremely early stages of the 2024 season, which won’t allow hot takes on social media to begin cooling. The steam is swirling.

Let’s address a few while I keep checking the weather apps and wondering how long the Royals will wait before screaming for their bus to take them to the airport. It’s a travel day. They host the White Sox on Thursday.

They don’t come back to Baltimore unless today’s game is postponed and the teams find a mutual off-day. Never a fun endeavor.

Colton Cowser is getting the Kyle Stowers treatment.

This one was gaining momentum with Cowser out of the lineup for the first four games. Stowers broke camp with the team in 2023 and was optioned on April 9 after six plate appearances and one start.

Stowers was recalled April 30, optioned again May 15 and stuck with his two hits in 30 at-bats.

Cowser came off the bench in the first four games before starting in left field last night and producing his first career multi-hit game. He made the team as a reserve outfielder. He wasn’t going to subsist on a steady diet of plate appearances.

The Orioles also were slated to face three left-handed starters within the first six games. Cowser is a left-handed hitter.

Another complication for the 2021 first-round draft pick is the club’s desire to get Ryan O’Hearn in the lineup against right-handers. Hard to argue based on what O’Hearn did last season. He’s earned it.

Cowser had an RBI double last night in the third inning, singled in the eighth - again to the opposite field - and will play more as manager Brandon Hyde provides more rest for his regulars. No one is gassed the first week of the season.

Craig Kimbrel is washed.

Guess the clean outings later in camp didn't calm some people.

Kimbrel made his Orioles debut Monday night and allowed the tying run in the ninth on a bloop single into left field, two stolen bases and a sacrifice fly. Balls put in play traveled 206 feet and 267 feet at 70.5 mph and 94.8 mph off the bat.

Two Royals struck out, including someone named Bobby Witt Jr. on three pitches.

A 418^th career save would have to wait.

Kimbrel wasn’t happy that he permitted the two steals from pinch-runner Dairon Blanco, though the swipe of third was extremely close and the Orioles challenged the call. He hadn’t pitched since March 20. His velocity was down a bit. It was the first game.

I know what happened to Kimbrel in the National League Championship Series. I also know that Kimbrel didn’t allow a run in the first two rounds and posted an 0.69 ERA in June, a 1.38 ERA in July and a 1.50 ERA in his last 12 regular season games.

We can pick whatever numbers suit our narrative.

I’m focused on a debut that was more unlucky than bad and will withhold judgement until the sample size is much bigger.

Get another starter because John Means is done.

Means is done with one rehab start.

He was charged with seven runs in an inning-plus at Triple-A Norfolk, but his arm felt good and his velocity was about the same as in the past. Health is what matters after one outing. The numbers garner more attention later.

The assignment can last up to 30 days. It’s in the infancy stage. Let’s bottle up the panic.

Arguments for another starter can be spun in other directions if that’s your passion, but it’s way premature to immediately connect it to Means. Feels like an overreaction.

Ramón Urías isn’t hitting and that’s why Jackson Holliday should be on the club.

Urias is 0-for-10 in four games, but he’ll start to hit in his usual league-average way. He’s gonna play really good defense at third base despite Monday’s error.

He isn’t blocking Holliday, who’s going to be the everyday second baseman. There were formulas in spring training that would have kept Holliday, Urias and Jorge Mateo on the major league roster.

You can find plenty of other reasons to hate that Holliday hit his leadoff home run last night in Charlotte, but I’d keep Urías out of it.